Baltic Country Holidays новости

Our collection of postcards offers information about things that we, the Latvian people, consider to be important, what makes us proud, and what is special during every season in our Latvian countryside. For the Summer Solstice, Latvians make round, yellow cheese to resemble the sun. In the autumn, we go into the forest to to hunt for mushrooms. During the spring, we tap birch trees to get the sap, and in winter, we enjoy sauna traditions that are hundreds of years old.
A separate series of postcards relates to Latvian cuisine, including cheese, as well as crafts from Latvia.

The latest series of postcards focuses on seven routes that can be traveled to celebrate the centenary of the Latvian state. You will learn about the emergence of Latvian statehood in all of Latvia’s regions.

If you want to delight your friends in Latvia or abroad with a beautiful postcard greeting, then come to the “Lauku ceļotājs” office at Kalnciema Street 40, 3rd floor, in Rīga, where you can get some of the cards.

Available languages: Latvian, German

Postcard photos.

Drinking maple and birch saps is old Latvian tradition. Though maple is introduced species, Latvians have discovered that its saps taste as good as birch, and it starts earlier. Usually saps start running with the first warm days when temperatures stay above zero and stop with the first green leaves. This year maple sap has started to run as early as mid February. At Ragāres farm they collect maple saps and bottle it for own use and for visitors willing to enjoy this seasonal treat.  Saps are collected by drilling a hole in the trunk some 30-40cm from the ground and using a tube to lead the sap into a container. Maple and birch saps are renowned for their detoxicating and curative properties. People drink it fresh and also fermented.

Authentic ethnographic experiences are guaranteed to tourists in guest houses and open farms that are awarded with the “Latvian Heritage” sign. 19 rural tourism businesses joined the “LH” sign holder community on January 11 this year, on a regular “LH” award ceremony with participation of the Latvian Minister of Culture. Today over 70 keepers of Latvian national traditions in the countryside are prepared to show things, tell stories, offer Latvian foods, teach crafts and skills, and celebrate Latvian traditional festivities with their guests.

We are ready with a new theme in our web site – Tasty Cheese Tour.
Find out about types and sorts of cheese that are produced in small facilities located in rural areas, and venture for a cheese tour to enjoy the variety of tastes and products! Farms and manufacturing facilities that prove mastery in cheese making, can talk about the process with visitors, and offer samples for tasting or buying are awarded with the title Cheese Master.

Latvijas Lauku tūrisma asociācija "Lauku ceļotājs" kopā ar Igaunijas Lauku tūrisma asociāciju un Somijas reģionālo tūrisma asociāciju "Visit South Coast Finland" ir izstrādājušas reklāmas materiālu Japānas mērķauditorijai par tūrisma un atpūtas iespējām laukos un pie dabas Baltijas valstīs un Somijas dienviddaļā.

Latvian Country Tourism Association "Lauku ceļotājs" has developed a brochure "Tasty Cheese Tour" (Gardā siera ceļš). The title "Sierzinis" is awarded to farms and manufacturing facilities that prove mastery in cheese making, can talk about the process with visitors, and offer samples for tasting or buying.  The title is also awarded to rural saloons, restaurants and other venues that offer locally made cheeses on their menus.

To developing the Culinary Routes network in the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea in order to strengthen identity and the feeling of belonging together the Baltic sea Culinary Routes project partners have produced a brochure.

The ERASMUS+ programme project "UPSKILL" aims at developing the skills of early drop-outs and low qualified adult through the development of an innovative short term study programme. Five partners from Turkey, Latvia, Spain, Italy and Austria have developed an analysis report on key skills for the tourism sector as well as an deriving model for the attribution of ECVET credits with key knowledge, skills and competences. 

After almost 18 month of work, the “Seniors Go Rural” project presents the results of its activities.  A reduced yet comprehensive list of rules and requirements sets the frame for age-group friendly tourism services.  Based on these criteria, new and innovative products were created and tested.  The “Silver Suitcase” logo identifies adequate services to the target group, and the associated Guest Card provides special conditions and value-added services to them. 

All offers for seniors you can find here: http://www.celotajs.lv/en/c/accomm/seniors

A new self-assessment tool available to evaluate your CSR skills

The partners in the TransCSR project have launched a self-assessment tool to evaluate one’s CSR skills, knowledge and competencies, and get the CSR skills pass http://www.csr-pass.eu/v1/survey-index.php?module=survey&survey=passcsr .

The CSR self-assessment tool has been translated in project partner languages to improve accessibility and dissemination of CSR which is a comparatively new learning topic in tourism training programmes in Latvia. We hope that this tool will help students and training sector to increase CSR wawareness and improve the learning process.

More about the CSR pass: http://www.celotajs.lv/cont/prof/news/2015/TransCSR-Flyer-web-ENG.pdf

More about the project: http://www.kate-stuttgart.org/en/csr-tourism/transcsr.html